Mapping Soil Carbon with Farmers Who Practice Renegenerative Management
Authors
Willett, Caroline
Graf, Paige
Martin, Jennifer
Wilson, Jess
Chapman Busby, Emma
Deborah McGrath
Issue Date
2023-04-28
Type
Other
Language
en_US
Keywords
Scholarship Sewanee 2023 , University of the South , Soil carbon , Carbon sequestration , Regenerative agriculture , Mapping carbon
Alternative Title
Abstract
Innovative farmers around Tennessee’s southern Cumberland Plateau are stewarding
their lands in the hopes of increasing soil carbon levels by using regenerative practices, such as improved cover cropping and rotational grazing. By removing atmospheric CO2 and
storing it in the soil, these practices may provide tools in the fight against climate change. In partnership with the Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers coalition (SeTNYF) and Skidmore
College’s The Soil Inventory Project (TSIP), we conducted a pilot study on six small farms implementing these practices to begin assessing the impact of regenerative management on soil carbon content. We used a participatory research method aimed at involving farmers at every stage of the process, particularly in formulating research objectives and interpreting data. On each farm in the summer of 2022, we collected soil samples at 2 depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm) in two areas: (i) where regenerative practices were implemented and (ii) in adjacent, unmanaged areas. The sample size (n) depended upon farm size, but a total of 423 samples were collected and analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC). This project quantifies and compares soil carbon (as well as soil nitrogen and C:N ratios, phosphorus, base cations, and soil pH) between regeneratively managed plots and unmanaged plots on the six farms. Based on these results, we created maps using ArcGIS to share with farmers the data analysis of the sample points. The maps allow farmers to visualize carbon density on their land and have georeferenced plots to walk precisely to the sample point. Finally, presenting our findings in unstructured interviews, we gathered farmers’ invaluable insights regarding the data we collected on their farms. With a robust baseline, we will continue to monitor these farms in the future for changes in soil carbon.The SeTNYF coalition is growing the next generation of farmers through community-building, resource and knowledge sharing, and advocacy. The project will substantially help SeTNYF farmers compare soil carbon dynamics in response to regenerative practices over time. We are hopeful about the future of regenerative agriculture’s impact on our soil, our communities, and the environmental landscape of our world.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South